Turn MKV files into M4V
Your MKV goes in and an M4V comes out. M4V is the usual choice for video purchased or rented through iTunes and the TV app. Your file never leaves your computer.
Need the other direction? Convert M4V to MKV
How to convert MKV to M4V
- 1 Drop your MKV .mkv file onto the page, or click to browse for it.
- 2 Set the quality, or leave the default, which keeps the file small without anything showing.
- 3 Convert. The work happens on your own machine, so how long it takes depends on your computer and the file.
- 4 Download the M4V, or add more files and do the whole set in one go.
Why convert MKV to M4V
- Essentially MP4, so converting is fast and costs nothing.
- Supports chapters and multiple audio tracks in Apple players.
- Video purchased or rented through iTunes and the TV app.
- MKV: browsers do not support it, and many TVs and phones do not either.
MKV compared with M4V
How the two formats differ on the things that decide whether a conversion is worth making.
| Property | MKV | M4V |
|---|---|---|
| File extension | .mkv | .m4v |
| Compression | Lossy or lossless | Lossy |
| Typical file size | Depends on mode | Smaller |
| Browser support | No browser support | Some browsers |
| Introduced | 2002 | 2005 |
| Developed by | Matroska community | Apple |
| Standard | Open | Proprietary |
Quality and what changes
M4V stores the same content under a different set of rules, so what matters here is compatibility rather than picture quality. Convert once from the best source you have rather than through a chain of intermediate files.
- One M4V limitation to keep in mind: non-Apple players may refuse the extension even when the file is fine.
Questions about MKV to M4V
Is my MKV file uploaded anywhere?
No. The whole thing runs inside the browser tab you already have open. Your MKV is read straight from your own disk, converted on your machine and handed back as an M4V. Nothing is sent anywhere, nothing is stored and there is no account.
Is there a file size limit?
There is no server-side limit because no server sees the file. The real ceiling is your device memory, since the input and the output both have to fit in the tab. A few hundred megabytes is usually fine on a desktop machine and considerably less on a phone.
Can I convert several MKV files at once?
Yes. Add as many as you like and they are processed one after another, then offered as separate M4V downloads or as a single ZIP. Speed depends on your own processor rather than on a queue.
Does the converter work offline?
Yes, after the page has loaded once. The engine is cached by the browser, so you can disconnect, reload and keep converting. That falls out of doing the work locally rather than being a separate mode you switch on.